Conventionally, various electronic devices are mounted on a vehicle or the like, and a wiring harness is arranged therein for transmitting electric power, a control signal, and the like. The wiring harness includes: a plurality of electric wires; terminal fittings attached to terminal sections of the electric wires; and a connector receiving the terminal fittings. When this connector is fitted with a mating connector, the terminal fittings of both connectors are electrically connected to each other, and the electronic devices are connected by the wiring harness. The terminal fitting is made by folding a conductive metal plate or the like, and includes: a wire connection portion for connecting with the electric wire; and an electrical contact portion for connecting with the terminal fitting of the mating connector.
Further, the terminal-equipped wire having a terminal fitting attached to a terminal section of the electric wire is typically made by removing an insulating coating from a terminal section of the electric wire (peeling the wire) to expose an conductor, and by swaging the conductor with a front leg of the terminal fitting to fix, and by swaging the insulating coating with a rear leg of the terminal fitting to fix, and whereby the conductor of the electric wire and the terminal fitting are electrically connected to each other, and the electric wire and the terminal fitting are mechanically connected to each other. On the other hand, because the exposed conductor and the front leg of the terminal fitting closely contact each other in a pressure condition, when the water or a chemical attach to this connection portion, galvanic corrosion may be generated in the conductor or the terminal fitting to deteriorate the terminal-equipped wire. Therefore, a water proof structure and a corrosion proof structure of the connection portion have been proposed (for example, refer to PTL 1).
As shown in FIG. 9, the terminal-equipped wire described in PTL 1 has an electric wire 1 having a conductor 1B in an insulating coating 1A, and a terminal fitting 2 crimped to a terminal section 1C of the electric wire 1, and is manufactured by the following procedure. First, as shown in FIG. 9A, the insulating coating 1A having a specific length at the terminal section of the electric wire 1 is removed by peeling, and the conductor 1B at the terminal section 1C is exposed. Next, as shown in FIG. 9B, the terminal section 1C of the electric wire 1 is inserted into rear legs 2A and front legs 2B of the terminal fitting 2, the electric wire 1 is swaged with the rear legs 2A from outside of the insulating coating 1A, and the exposed conductor 1B is swaged with the front legs 2B. Thereby, the electric wire 1 and the terminal fitting 2 are electrically and mechanically connected to each other. Further, as shown in FIG. 9C, a resin portion R is made by covering the terminal section 1C of the electric wire 1 swaged by the rear and front legs 2A, 2B with resin, and this resin portion R works as a water proof and corrosion proof member for the terminal section 1C.